Heddle-frame.



G. NUTTALL HBDDLB FRAME.

Patehted Oct. 18,1910.

Illlllliilllll .mnmlEvs GEORGE NUTTALL, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEDDLE-FRAME.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE NUTTALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Heddle-Frame, of which the following is a specification.

In one form of heddle frame, as heretofore constructed, the heddle rod is provided with a suitable hook at one end, the other end thereof being threaded and held in position by a nut and in practice this nut often works loose, thereby allowing the rod to be loosened in the frame, the result of which is that the material in the course of manufacture is often times spoiled with consequent loss, while in another type it has been proposed to fasten the heddle rods by passing them through the end pieces of the heddle frame and securing them in position by means of a hook, but in such a construction the end of the heddle rods project beyond the frame so that these projecting parts are liable to engage with some other part of the machine, thereby causing serious injury and breakage of the co-acting parts. It has also been difficult in prior devices with which I am familiar to obtain the proper tension on the heddle rod and to give the heddle frame the necessary stiifness and rigidity to prevent it from becoming distorted.

With the above in view my present invention consists of a novel construction 0f a heddle frame wherein resilient means is employed to maintain the heddle rods in position and wherein the end pieces are constructed in a novel manner and secured to the cross pieces of the frame in such a manner that a very rigid device is produced, which is not liable to be distorted or get out of order.

In a co-pending application filed by me November 18, 1908, Serial No. 463,251 I have described and broadly claimed a novel construction of a heddle frame wherein U -shaped end pieces are employed and wherein yielding means are employed for maintaining the proper tension on the heddle rods and securing the same in assembled Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 7, 1909.

Patented Oct. 318, 19M).

Serial No. 500,507.

position and in my present invention I employ a novel form of resilient fastening means and also novel means for securing the end pieces to the cross rails of the frame.

It further consists of a novel construction of a stile or end piece preferably constructed of an integral piece of material and deflected in such a manner as to form a chamber adapted to receive the ends of the heddle rods and also securing means for said rods, and the stile or end piece having portions thereof deflected in order to form strips adapted to be secured to the cross rails of the frame whereby all the fastening devices for the heddle rods are self-contained so that there is no liability of the fastening devices catching on any moving parts with consequent injury to the heddle frames and the work which is being produced.

It further consistsI of a novel construction of a tool whereby the heddle rods may be readily and quickly assembled with respect to the heddle frame.

It further consists of other novel features of construction all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure l represents a front elevation of a heddle frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation thereof partly broken away. Fig. 3 represents an end elevation partly broken away, showing the opposite end to that seen in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a sectional elevation of a portion of a heddle frame showing my novel construction of an actuating tool in conjunction therewith. Fig. 5 represents a section on line -m, Fig. l. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of a portion of a heddle rod. Fig'. 7 represents a perspective view of my novel means for assembling the heddle rods. Similar. numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a heddle frame embodying my invention, the same consisting of the cross rails 2 to which the stiles or end pieces 3 are secured.

The stiles or end pieces 3 in the present instance are constructed of an integral piece of material, the same beingl preferably formed of a metal strip, t-he sides of which are bent outwardly to form the side pieces 4 and 55 and a bottom member (3, whilje the ends of the side pieces 4 and 5v arel preferably inwardly deflected as indicated at 7 and 8.` Near each end; of the stile 3, the bottom 6 thereof is bent outwardly to form two strips 9 and 10 which are adapted to closely engage the side rail 2 and be secured thereto by means of suitable fastening` devices such as screws 11 and 12 respectively or their equivalents, it being understood from Fig. 4. that the cross. rails 2 extend through the chamber formed between the sides4 and 5 sothat the same is Hush with the outer face of the sides 4 andv 5.

13 designates slots in the bottom. G of the end pieces 3.V

1.4 designates the heddlerods which are guided in the hooks 15 secured to the cross rails 2, the ends of said rods being provided with hooks 16 which are formed in the present instance by cutting away a portion of the metal. of the rod 14.

17 designates a fastening device, one end of which is secured to the endl piece 3 by means of a suitable fastening device such as a rivet or stud 18 and which in the present instance consists of a wire, the outer end of which forms a. loop with which t-he hook 16 at the end of the heddle rod 14 engages, it being noted that the fastening device 17 is wholly contained within the formed by the end piece 3.

19 designates a resilient fastening device which inl the present instance consists of a spring provided at one-end with a loop 20 which is adapted to engage with the hook 16 at the end of the heddle rod 14, said spring being wound around a collar 21 which is secured in place by inwardly deflecting the side 4 and 5, as seen at 22 in Fig. 5, while the free end of the member 19 is extended, as indicated at 23 so that when the parts are in assembled. posit-ionthere is always a tension on the heddle rod 14, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4.

In order that my novel construction of heddle frame may be readily assembled and taken apart when desired I preferably employ a novel construction of a tool which consists of an actuating lever 24 to the end chamber 'attached or detached when desired.

The ends of the cross rails 2 are slightly reduced so that the sides of the stiles or end l pieces 3 are always flush with the cross rail 2 and since a large number of theseJ frames are used in close proximity to each other in practice, it will be apparent that by making the end pieces flush with the cross rail I provide no projecting portions on the heddle frame which are liable to engage with an adjacent heddle frame with consequentdamage thereto.

It will now be apparent that the heddle l rod will be secured to the cross rails in such a manner that they will have the proper tension thereon under all conditions arising in practice and if the operator should bend one of the heddle rods during the operation of the machine, owing to the provision of the resilient fastening means, the rod would instantly return/to` its normal operative position without damage to the co-acting parts of the frame or the other frames co-acting therewith.

In so far as I am aware I am the lrst in the art to employ in a device of this character stiles or end pieces constructed of an integral piece of material which is bent in such a manner as to form a chamber in which the fastening devices for the heddle rods are contained and wherein a portion of the end piece is deflected in order to form fastening devices for securing the end pieces to the cross. rail and my claims to these features are to be interpreted with correspondmg scope.

I wish to call special attention to the novel construction of tension devices` for securing the heddle rods in position, since it will be apparent that owing to the manner in which the wire fastening device 17 is passed around the tube 18 and the manner in which the end 23 of such device engages with the bottom 6' of the end piece 3 that the desired tension will always be exerted against the end of the heddle rod. It will be further apparent that by my novel manner of fastening the tension device 19 in position, I have dispensed entirely with the 'use ofrivets or screws so that there is no liability of the resilient fastening device 19 becoming loosened or getting` out of adjustment.

The forming of the'end pieces in such a manner that they have a U-shaped contour gives marked advantages in ractice since, as is well known to those skil ed in the art, in transporting the heddle frames from one place to another a large number of them are piled one above the other, thereby rendering the end pieces liable to be bent in transportation, and in my device owing to the U-shaped contour of the end pieces, this trouble is entirely eliminated.

In the present instance for convenience of illustration I have shown one of the end pieces as provided with a resilient fastening device co-acting with the end rods, but in many cases arising in practice the fastening device carried by each end piece consists of a resilient fastening device, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to a construction wherein only Vone of the end pieces is provided with a resilient fastening device for the heddle rods.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of a heddle frame which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the foregoing, and while I have in the present instance shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LetterslPatent, is

l. In a heddle frame, the combination with channeled end pieces, of cross rails, said end pieces having strips adjacent each end deflected therefrom, fastening devices for securing said strips upon opposite edges of the cross rails, said end pieces having apertures at suitable points, heddle rods adapted to pass through said apertures, means on one of the end pieces for engagement with one end of a heddle rod, and yielding means on the other of said end pieces for engagement with the other end of the same heddle rod, both of said means being contained within said end pieces.

2. In a heddle frame, t-he combination with the cross rails, of U-shaped end pieces rigidly secured thereto, the ends of the side flanges of said pieces being deflected, said pieces having apertures through the bottom thereof, heddle rods adapted to pass through said apertures, fastening devices within one Vof said end pieces each adapted to receive one end of a heddle rod, bushings secured within the other end piece by deflecting a portion of the metal thereinto, and a spring mounted on each of said bushings and detachably secured to a heddle rod.

3. In a heddle frame, the combination of U-shaped end pieces having portions of the bottom thereof deflected and forming apertures therethrough, cross rails having their ends reduced and passing through said apertures so as to be flush with the sides of the end pieces, fastening devices engaging such deflected portions and the cross rails, said end pieces having slots therethrough, heddle rods adapted to pass through the slots, means carried by one of the end pieces for detachably securing one end of each heddle rod thereto, and springs movably mounted in the opposite end piece each having one end adapted to engage the other end of one of said heddle rods and having its opposite end abutting against the bottom of the end pieces, whereby a tension is eX- erted upon the heddle rods.

4. In a heddle frame, the combination with U-shaped end pieces having portions thereof near each end deflected and forming apertures, of cross rails passing through said apertures and having their sides flush with the sides of the end pieces, means for securing said outwardly deflected portions at each end upon different sides of the cross rails, said end pieces having slots through the bottom thereof, heddle rods adapted to pass through said slots, means located within one of said end pieces for securing one end of the heddle rod thereto, and means secured within the other of said end pieces for securing the other end of the heddle rod in position.

5. In a heddle frame, the combination with U-shaped end pieces having apertures therethrough, of cross rails extending through said apertures and having their sides flush with the sides of said end pieces, said end pieces having a portion of the bottom thereof deflected to form said apertures, means for securing said deiiected portion to the cross rails, said end pieces having slots through the bottom thereof, heddle rods adapted to pass through said slots, fastening devices in one of said end pieces for securing one end of said heddle rods, and springs pivotally supported between the sides of the other end pieces and having means at one end adapted to engage the ends of the heddle rods, the other ends of said springs being adapted to engage the bottomV of said end pieces.

6. In a heddle frame, the combination with channeled end pieces of cross rails, said end pieces having deflected portions at each end adapted to be secured to the top and bottom edges of the cross rails fastening devices for securing the deflected portions of said end pieces to the cross rails, said end pieces having apertures at suitable points, heddle rods adapted to pass through said apertures, means on one ofthe end pieces for engagement with one end of a heddle rod, and yielding means on the other of said end pieces for engagement With the other end of the same, both of said`means being contained Within the channels of said end pieces.

7. In a heddle frame, channeled end pieces having apertures therein and having a plurality of strips at each end deflected from the bottom thereof7 cross rails, fastening devices for securing said strips to said cross rails, heddle rods adapted to pass through said apertures, means on one of the end pieces for engagement With one end of each of the heddle rods7 and yielding means on the other of said end pieces for engagement with the other end of the heddle rods, both of said means being contained Within the channeled end pieces.

GEORGE N UTTALL.

lVitnesses:

H. S. FAIRBANKS, C. D. MCVAY. 

